It's hard to imagine your life without water. We use water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, washing, etc., that is, water is necessary for normal human life. Therefore, it is so important that it is clean and absolutely harmless to health. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find today. And there can be many reasons for this - from the unsatisfactory condition of water pipes to the characteristics of water supply sources. That is why today the issue of water purification at home is so urgent.

The main disadvantage of tap water is excessive hardness, that is, an excess of calcium and magnesium salts, hydrocarbons, sulfates and iron. High hardness gives the water a bitter taste, has a negative effect on the digestive organs, disrupts the water-salt balance in the human body, forms limescale on dishes and heating elements household appliances, spoils fabrics during washing.

Various impurities may be present in tap water: nitrogen compounds, sodium, potassium, calcium, manganese salts, etc. Chlorination is controversial. On the one hand, chlorination is efficient, affordable and inexpensive way disinfection of water.

On the other hand, chlorine significantly impairs the taste of water; moreover, chlorine, having reacted with organic compounds, can form chlorine-containing toxins, mutagenic and carcinogenic substances and poisons, including dioxides.
Naturally, quality tap water controlled by the relevant authorities and if the concentration of harmful impurities in it is exceeded, appropriate measures are taken. However, most experts are unanimous in the opinion: you cannot drink water directly from the tap. You need to at least boil it.

Upholding

Sedimentation is the simplest way to purify tap water. By upholding is understood the process of separation from water under the influence of gravitational forces of suspended particles, namely, salts, some heavy metals etc. To purify water in this way, you need to take a clean vessel, for example, a jar, fill it with tap water, cover it slightly with a lid and leave it for 5-6 hours. During this time, suspended particles will settle to the bottom. You can use only the upper 2/3 of the water, it is advisable to pour out the lower 1/3 of the water, since it is in it that all harmful impurities are concentrated. It is not recommended to settle the water for more than the specified time, since standing water pathogenic bacteria can begin to multiply.

Boiling

Boiling is considered the easiest and most affordable way to purify household water. Moreover, if the water is not purified by means of filters, boiling is a prerequisite its harmless to health consumption. Boiling helps purify the water of many types of impurities. Under the influence of high temperature, most of the bacteria die, chlorine-containing compounds are destroyed, the water becomes soft and tasty. However, boiling has its drawbacks.

1. Firstly, in chlorinated water under the influence of high temperature, dioxide is formed, which tends to accumulate in the human body and has a carcinogenic effect.
2. Secondly, ordinary boiling (not prolonged) destroys far from all microbes, not to mention heavy metals, nitrates, phenol and petroleum products.
3. Thirdly, with prolonged exposure to high temperatures, the structure of water is destroyed and it, in best case, becomes not useful, and in the worst case, harmful to health. Boiled water is heavy or, as it is also called, "dead" water. It contains heavy isotopes of hydrogen - deuterium atoms. Negative impact such water on the human body is confirmed by numerous studies.

To purify water by boiling to be as effective as possible, and the negative effects are minimal, it is important to observe the following rules:

• Do not boil the water again, pouring out the remaining water from the kettle and rinsing it after each use
• It is advisable to boil pre-filtered water or at least settled
  Use only the upper 2/3 of the volume for drinking or cooking, pour out the remaining water
• Descale the kettle and other utensils as needed
• Avoid boiling for a long time

Freezing

You can clean your tap water at home by partially freezing it. The essence of this method of purification is as follows: cleaner and fresher freezes faster, then crystallizes water containing impurities and salts. To purify water in this way, you need to pour water into a container, for example, a plastic bottle, and put it in the freezer. When the first thin layer of ice forms on the surface of the water, it should be removed, as this is rapidly freezing heavy water.

After the water is about half frozen, remove the container from the freezer. It is the frozen water that should be used for drinking and cooking. Do not use unfrozen water. In winter, water purification is much easier. In frosty weather, containers with water can be placed in the open air.

For the best effect, you can use double purification, that is, first, the water is defended or passed through a filter, and only then freeze.

By the way, it has been known since ancient times that melt water has a number. Thus, water purification by freezing allows you to obtain not only pure, but also healing water.

Bottled water

You can replace low-quality tap water with bottled water, which can easily be bought at any store. Nowadays many people prefer just such water, considering it as safe as possible for health. Bottled water is divided into two categories: the first category water and the highest category water. The first category water is well-purified tap water. That is, the water from the tap is first cleaned from impurities, then disinfected, after which it is added useful elements and poured into containers. Such water, undoubtedly, is better than tap water, but not all manufacturers manage to completely purify water from impurities.

The water quality of the highest category is much higher. Most often it is pure underground water that does not contain harmful impurities. Such water is either initially rich in compounds such as fluorine, potassium, calcium, iodine, or it is enriched with them before being poured into containers. There is a misconception that it is enough to clean water from all impurities, and it will be useful. In fact, water should enrich the human body with minerals. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous manufacturers on the market who sell not only poorly purified bottled water, but also insufficiently mineralized water. Therefore, in order not to buy a fake, you should pay attention to the following points:

• The label of the container with water must contain information about the category of water
• The container should not have dents, drawings and inscriptions on the label should be clearly printed
• There should be no sediment at the bottom of the container with water
• It is better to buy water from well-known manufacturers that have been producing similar products for a long time

Household filters

Clean and useful water can be obtained with household filters. There are many different filters with which water can be purified from varying degrees cleansing. Household filters are divided into two groups:

1. Jug filters. They are easy to use and affordable, however, their productivity and the degree of water purification are low. If there are a lot of mechanical impurities in tap water, but its chemical composition meets the standards, you can limit yourself to this device. The service life of the filter is long, the main thing is to replace the cartridge approximately once every 1.5-2 months (after cleaning 150-300 liters of water). The jug should be washed regularly, and filtered water should not be stored in it for a long time. Otherwise, it is possible. Before a long break in operation, it should be washed, dried and stored in a dry place, since moisture is a favorable environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microbes.
2. Flow models. They are connected directly to the water supply or faucet, are relatively expensive, but they are characterized by high performance and provide high quality purified water. The use of such models is advisable if the water is highly hard and has harmful impurities. The cartridges used in them not only perform mechanical cleaning of water, but also precipitate toxic chemical impurities, make the water softer and more pleasant to the taste.

For effective filter operation, it is necessary to timely change the cartridge, which has a limited resource. Typically, in stationary models, the cartridge lasts about 1 year. It is important to remember that flow filters need continuous operation. With a long break in the use of such a filter, its cartridge creates optimal conditions for the reproduction of microbes, and also there is a loss of the operational properties of the filter material. As a result, it may be necessary to replace the cartridge and thoroughly clean the filter cavity.

Filtration with activated carbon and minerals

It is believed that activated carbon absorbs substances harmful to the human body from water, including such heavy metals as lead, radon and its decay products, chlorine, pesticides, etc. At the same time, it enriches water valuable minerals... To purify water, tablets of activated carbon are packed in a gauze bag and placed in a container with water for 12-14 hours. After this time, clean water is suitable for drinking. It is not recommended to leave activated carbon water for more long term, since such water can become a favorable breeding ground for various microorganisms.

Minerals are often used for water purification, in particular, silicon.

This method of obtaining pure water used back in Ancient Rus... It is believed that due to the activation of water with silicon, it becomes not only pure, but also tastier and can be stored for a long time without changing the composition. In such water, the life of viruses and pathogenic microbes is simply impossible. Silicon absorbs substances harmful to human health, such as salts of heavy metals, pesticides, etc. In order to purify water with silicon at home, it is necessary to place silicon washed under running water in a glass or enamel dish, pour water at the rate of 10 g of mineral per liter of water. Cover the dishes with a clean cloth and place in a dark place for 2-3 days.

After the specified period, use the upper 2/3 of the water, pour out the remaining layer, since it is there that accumulates harmful substances out of the water. The resulting silicon water must not be refrigerated or boiled. It is better to leave it stored indoors at a temperature not lower than +10 ° C.

About modern cleaning methods drinking water will tell the video:

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High quality drinking water is a guarantee of human health. In addition, the taste of the prepared dishes depends on the water. Everyone knows that tap water, which is supplied to apartments and houses, has dubious qualities and purity and can harm the body. Various devices are used to cleanse it. But what if there is no filter in the house? Alternatively, you can use simple ways to purify water at home.

There are many ways to obtain purified water at home without special equipment. Each of them has both advantages and disadvantages.

Freeze water

The freezing method is one of the most popular because of its simplicity and availability. According to experts, ice water it is especially useful, since during freezing it is possible to obtain a living and clear liquid. All you need is a freezer container, regular refrigerator (freezer compartment) and tap water.

It is advisable to take a deep container. Water is poured into it, but not to the brim, but with a margin of 1 cm, not less. This dish is carefully placed in the freezer. Care must be taken to freeze half of the water in the vessel. How long it takes depends on several factors, including the volume of the vessel, the temperature set in the freezer compartment.

As soon as half of all our liquid freezes, you need to carefully break through the ice crust with a sharp knife and drain the water that has not had time to freeze. It is she who is the most harmful, impurities remain in it. The remaining ice is a clean, healthy liquid that can be safely consumed or used in the kitchen for cooking.

Frozen water is endowed with a number of therapeutic and prophylactic properties. Namely:

• has a positive effect on the normalization of metabolic processes in the human body;
• helps to quickly recover from illness;
• promotes rapid adaptation of the body in unexpected conditions;
• improves the work of muscle tissue;
• endowed with anti-allergenic qualities.

This method of filtering water is far from perfect, because it is only "by eye" to determine how well the water has been purified. Nevertheless, the resulting liquid is cleaner and much more useful than thatserved to us from the tap.

Boiling

Boiling is a way to get clean water that almost everyone uses. High temperatures affect water - it is sterilized, cleaned of microorganisms. The desired result can be achieved only after boiling for 15 minutes, and it is not necessary to cover the container with a lid, since harmful compounds "come out" with steam.

However, this method has significant disadvantages.

Firstly, boiled water among the common people has earned the name "dead", and this is not accidental. Along with harmful impurities, evaporate and useful components, therefore, we are not talking about any positive impact.

Not only do chlorine compounds retain in such water, they become a carcinogen - chloroform, which is dangerous for humans due to its ability to provoke oncological pathologies.

Parts of the salts are retained on the walls of the container in which the liquid was boiled. The result is soft water that boasts a much higher content of salts, nitrates and heavy metals than tap water.

Despite this, for most of the inhabitants of our country, boiling is a method that is used quite often due to its simplicity and availability. In this case, you must try to neutralize the resulting boiled liquid.

This is not difficult to do. 5 liters are poured into the dishes boiled water, there should also be added ascorbic acid (0.5 grams), purchased in advance at the pharmacy. The composition is stirred until the acid is completely dissolved and left for an hour to settle.

Upholding

Standing up is a simple method used by many. The result is a better quality liquid.

The water drawn from the tap is left for 8 hours. During this period, volatile impurities, including chlorine, evaporate. It is advisable to stir the contents of the container from time to time, this will speed up the evaporation process.

But you cannot get rid of the salts of heavy metals, they remain in the liquid, but they settle to the very bottom. After that, pour 2/3 of the contents of the dishes with settled water. This must be done carefully, making sure that the liquid does not shake up and that the sediment does not mix with the already cleaned layer.

Not everyone knows, but the well-known table salt can also act as a kind of home "filter".

The vessel is filled with 2 liters of liquid from the tap. There is also placed 1 full tablespoon of salt, which should dissolve well. After 15-25 minutes, the water will already be cleared of harmful microorganisms and heavy metal salts.

Purification with activated carbon

Activated carbon is actively used as a cleaning component. By the way, most cleaning devices use this substance. Activated carbon does an excellent job of neutralizing unpleasant odors. In addition, it is, like a sponge, capable of absorbing harmful elements from the liquid.

To achieve the expected result, tablets of this product are wrapped in a piece of gauze and placed in a container filled with liquid. For 1 liter of water, 1 tablet is used. Already after 8 hours, the water will become significantly cleaner and you can safely use it.

Silver cleansing

Silver is an excellent cleanser. With the help of this element, it is possible to neutralize not only chemical substancesbut also get rid of many harmful elements.

In the evening, a silver coin or spoon is dipped into a bowl filled with liquid. In the morning, after 12 hours, the purified water is ready for use.

Water purification by folk methods

In addition to the widely known household methods described above, there are many folk methods.

1. Rowan bunches can help solve the problem. The berries are dipped in a vessel with water and left for 2-3 hours. The resulting purified liquid is no worse than the one that is obtained if you use activated carbon or silver.
2. Willow bark, onion peel, juniper twigs, bird cherry leaves will also do an excellent job with this task. However, filtration with such components will take longer - 12 hours.
3. For cleansing, you can use iodine or vinegar. For 1 liter of water, you need to take 3 drops of 5% iodine or 1 teaspoon of vinegar. These components are added to water for 2-6 hours. However, you need to know that chlorine and some microorganisms do not disappear anywhere.

All of the above methods can be adopted. In the absence of a high-quality filter, any of them will help to get water much cleaner than the one that flows in the taps of our houses.

Video: how to purify plain water without filters

There is no life without water. Man is на water. We drink about 75 tons of water in our lifetime. At the same time, we drink 80% of our illnesses, Louis Pasteur argued. According to the World Health Organization, 85% of known diseases are transmitted by water, from which 25 million people die each year. In addition, polluted water speeds up the aging process by 30%.

Former Director-General of the World Health Organization Gro Harlem Brundtland, many cases of illness and death could be avoided with inexpensive and available funds water purification.

Drinking water from the tap is, of course, possible, but hardly necessary - every schoolchild knows about this today. City water usually contains a lot of mechanical and chemical impurities. There are many bacteria and viruses in the water. For example, if a person continues to drink water with an excess of iron for a long time, he can get liver disease. The water we use contains a lot of calcium and magnesium salts. This makes the water especially hard. The use of such water has a bad effect on both household appliances and the human body. Unfortunately, sanitary standards require water treatment plants to add chlorine to disinfect water, which also has a negative impact on health.

The problem of water purification cannot be solved by boiling alone - far from all the "additives" contained in it settle in the form of limescale on the walls of the kettle. It is worth imagining that something similar accumulates in our body in order to once and for all give up the consumption of under-purified water. To avoid such a problem, you need to take care of full water purification.

What kind of water to use?

Some people buy bottled drinking water. Bottled water is varied in composition. And before making a choice in favor of a particular brand, you need to carefully look at what you are offered and for what money. Mineral water, for example, is best consumed as directed by a doctor. But unfortunately, there are a lot of poor-quality manufacturers and fakes on the market, it is believed that up to a third of the bottles sold in Russia are not high-quality water!

In this state of affairs, consumers have to learn to recognize fake water, relying only on themselves. If this is table water, then it should not have any smell, there should not be a film on top, there should be no sediment. True, we must remember that there is medicinal waterswhere slight sediment is allowed.
The technology for the production of fake mineral water is very simple: water is taken from the tap, iodine, salt and soda are added to it to give it a specific taste, and then carbonated in cheap saturators (something like a large siphon).

The first sign of a fake is a low price. Wholesale counterfeits are offered 15-20% cheaper than the original, and retail prices for it are about 5% lower than for real mineral water. So if you come across water at prices lower than the market average, you should be wary: most likely, it got into a bottle from the tap.

You should also pay attention to the date of release of the water: the original products are not stored in warehouses, and if the mineral water was released more than six months ago, it is certainly a fake. Insofar as glass containers harder to fake, fake mineral water most often poured into plastic containers.

Another important point: Before buying mineral water, you must learn to read the label. For example, if Caucasian water is bottled in Tula, then it is not Caucasian water, but Tula water. Each label must correctly indicate the composition of the water and the well number, address and telephone number for contacting the manufacturer. And finally, if the label is faint, poorly printed, or carelessly applied, the quality of the content is fully consistent.

Household water treatment methods

For water purification in living conditions people use different ways... However, not everyone knows how to correctly implement them and what side effect may occur.

All methods of water purification can be conditionally divided into two groups: cleaning without using filters and cleaning using filters.

Water purification without using filters

This option is the most common and affordable, since water purification does not require the purchase of additional devices, except for ordinary kitchen utensils.

Boiling

We all know from childhood that you cannot drink raw water, but only boiled water. Boiling is used to destroy organic matter (viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, etc.), remove chlorine and other low-temperature gases (radon, ammonia, etc.). Boiling does help purify water to some extent, but this process has a number of side effects... The first - during boiling, the structure of water changes, that is, it becomes "dead", since oxygen evaporates. The more we boil water, the more pathogens die in it, but the more it becomes useless for the human body. Second, since water evaporates during boiling, the concentration of salts in it increases. They are deposited on the walls of the kettle in the form of scale and lime and enter the human body during the subsequent consumption of water from the kettle.

As you know, salts tend to accumulate in the body, which leads to the most various diseases, ranging from diseases of the joints, the formation of kidney stones and petrification (cirrhosis) of the liver, and ending with arteriosclerosis, heart attack, and many others. etc. In addition, many viruses can easily tolerate boiling water, since much higher temperatures are required to kill them. Also note that boiling water removes only chlorine gas. In laboratory studies, it was confirmed that after boiling tap water, additional chloroform is formed (causes cancer), even if before boiling the water was freed from chloroform by blowing with an inert gas.

Output. After boiling, we drink "dead" water, which contains a fine suspension and mechanical particles, heavy metal salts, chlorine and organochlorine (chloroform), viruses.

Upholding

Sedimentation is used to remove chlorine from water and to settle large particles. Typically, tap water is poured into a large bucket and left in it for several hours. Without mixing the water in the bucket, chlorine gas is removed from about ⅓ of the depth from the surface of the water. It is this layer that is then used for consumption.

Output. The effectiveness of this method of water purification leaves much to be desired. After settling, it is necessary to boil the water.

Freezing

This method is used for effective cleaning water by recrystallization. It is much more effective than boiling and even distillation (the process of obtaining distilled water), since phenol, chlorophenols and light organochlorine (a number of chlorine-containing compounds are the most terrible poison) are distilled along with water vapor.

Freezing is based on the chemical law, according to which, when a liquid freezes, the basic substance crystallizes first in the coldest place, and last but not least, in the least cold place, everything that was dissolved in the basic substance solidifies. This phenomenon can be seen in the example of a candle. In an extinguished candle, away from the wick, pure transparent paraffin is obtained, and in the middle, where the wick burned, soot collects and the wax turns out to be dirty. All liquid substances obey this law.

At home, water purification by freezing can be organized very simply. Pick up enamel potthat fits into your fridge freezer with a lid. The main thing is that the volume of the pan is at least 1 liter, since in a smaller volume, the process of separating clean ice and dirty, not frozen water is unlikely to take place.

Fill a pot with water. Place the lid on the pot so that there is a two-finger gap between the lid and the water. Then the cold will penetrate into the pan from below and from the sides, so that under the lid the water will not have time to freeze in 24 hours, and if it does freeze, then it will be the last. The pot should be kept in the freezer for so long that the water has time to freeze by about half (for a 3-liter pot, this is just a day).

When you pull out a pot of half-frozen water, you will see firsthand that the ice is clear around the edges, like a diamond, and not the frozen water in the middle is so dirty that it resembles tea in color. The ice above this dirty water is not very clean and can even be pierced with a finger. This ice must be cut with a knife and all the dirty water drained off. If you pulled out the pan late, so that the water is completely frozen, then take a kettle with boiling water and pour the stream into the middle of the pan - the boiling water will “wash” all the dirty ice from the middle in half a minute, leaving the round timber the purest ice... Leave clean ice to thaw.

Water purification using filters

Modern filters for water purification mainly use ozonation methods, the use of active silver and activated carbon, iodization, ultraviolet light, ozonation and reverse osmosis.

Ozonation of water

Ozonation of water as a water treatment technology is popular in Western countries. The principle of operation of ozone during purification is as follows: the molecules of this chemically active form of oxygen penetrate through the cell membranes of organic substances and quickly oxidize them. This becomes the cause of cell death of the microorganism. Water treatment with ozone improves taste water and elimination of unpleasant odors.

The use of active silver

The cleansing properties of silver have been used by humans since time immemorial. Once upon a time, the water was simply kept for some time in silver vessels, it was believed that after that the water was completely disinfected. The modern use of silver for water purification is to combine silver ions with the shell of bacteria. This method, however, has opponents who argue that since silver is a heavy metal, this kind of cleaning poses a danger to human body... Today silver is also used for long-term storage of initially pure water.

Activated carbon

Activated carbon is a sorption reagent (from Latin sorbeo - I absorb) water purification to remove chlorine, odors and color from water. Due to its high sorption capacity, activated carbon effectively absorbs residual chlorine, dissolved gases, and organic compounds from water. The porous structure of activated carbon and, as a result, big square surface, ensures its high efficiency.

Iodization

Iodization is a commonly used method of water purification in swimming pools. In addition, specially designed iodine tablets are convenient for disinfecting water in field conditions, for example, by drawing water from an old rural well or a crystal clear at first glance fontanelle.

Treatment of water with ultraviolet rays or by means of an ultraviolet membrane is recognized as one of the most effective ways water treatment. The technology of water disinfection using ultraviolet radiation consists in the passage of special photochemical reactions, as a result of which the cells of microorganisms in the water are seriously damaged and bacteria die.

Reverse osmosis is a method of water purification that was previously used only for desalination of sea water. At the moment, improved purification by reverse osmosis produces hundreds of thousands of tons of drinking water per day around the world. On the basis of reverse osmosis systems, household filters for water purification are produced, which are one of the most efficient and reliable water treatment plants. What is the principle of reverse osmosis systems? The main cleaning element of these systems is a semi-permeable membrane, which is able to pass only water molecules through itself, but at the same time prevents the penetration of substances with larger molecules (heavy metal salts, impurities, rust). As a result of purification by reverse osmosis, water and substances dissolved in it are separated at the molecular level, while almost perfectly pure water accumulates on one side of the membrane, and all impurities remain on the other side. Thus, reverse osmosis provides a much higher degree of purification than most traditional filtration methods. The reverse osmosis membrane is capable of removing organic matter from water. Big size viruses and bacteria also virtually eliminates the possibility of their penetration through the membrane.

Modern household filters

Before installing a filter in your home, you must understand why you are doing it. That is, what result are you expecting! Today there are many filters that differ in configuration and methods of use.

Low-purity filters - tap and jug attachments

This category includes filters of simple cleaning with a small resource; as a rule, it is cleaning from mechanical impurities and from chlorine dissolved in water. The resource of the cartridge of this kind of filters is very small - on average it is enough (for 3-4 people) for a period of 15 to 45 days (the more expensive the jug or nozzle, the better the cleaning and the longer the cartridge life), after that the cartridge needs to be replaced. They have a high production cost and low quality water purification.

Tap nozzles

This category includes the simplest filters mounted to a water tap with a diameter of 15 to 20 mm. Purpose: post-treatment of tap water (used for drinking). The bulk of this kind of filters purifies water from mechanical impurities and chlorine. Although some manufacturers offer nozzle filters with cartridges containing ion-exchange resin - capable of partially softening water (water softening is a very small resource - several tens of liters) and partially taking salts of heavy metals.

This category includes the simplest bulk filters used for post-treatment of tap (treated / disinfected) water. Principle of operation: the jug is divided into 2 parts (purified water is poured into the upper part, purified water accumulates in the lower part of the jug), water flows by gravity through the filter material (cartridge), while cleaning it from mechanical impurities, organochlorine compounds, partly from heavy metals.

Medium filters - 2-stage, 3-stage filters

These filters are designed to purify tap (treated) water to the state of drinking water. A large assortment and variety of filters in this category allows them to be divided into several types, and are distinguished based on the following parameters: the number of cleaning stages (mainly 2 and 3-stage water purification filters); differ in their location, after their installation (lower location "under the sink", upper location "on the table"); single-flask (one flask can contain either one or three stages of cleaning) and multi-flask (as a rule, no more than 3 flasks); Also, since all filters of this category are flow-through filters (that is, flow-through water filtration occurs), another important factor is the way of connecting to the pipeline. All filters of this category are cartridge filters (as a rule, the Slim Line (SL) - 10 standard is used), that is, they imply the replacement of a replaceable element after the cartridge is exhausted.

2-stage filters: (usually 1st stage: mechanical cleaning, 2nd stage activated carbon cleaning)
3-stage filters: (as a rule 1st stage: mechanical cleaning, 2nd stage cleaning with activated carbon, 3rd stage ion-exchange resin, or pressed fine activated carbon enriched with one or more additives: silver, ion-exchange substance, crystals hexametaphosphate, etc.)

2, 3-stage filters: they are perfectly removed - mechanical impurities, chlorine, organochlorine compounds; partially removed - pesticides, iron, manganese, heavy metals, trichloromethane, oily products, hardness salts, not removed - bacteria, viruses, chlorides, nitrates, nitrites, fluorides.
The cost and quality of water treatment are average.

High purity filters - reverse osmosis, filters with ultra filtration membrane

The main filtering element in high-purity filters is a membrane, in terms of the quality of purification, the best is the reverse osmosis method (the main filtering element is a reverse osmotic membrane), followed by nanofiltration and ultrafiltration (ultrafiltration membrane). The most widespread is the reverse osmotic method of water purification, as the most effective, and household reverse osmotic systems (RO systems) in European countries, North America are the most common household water filters. It is worth noting that almost all bottled drinking water is purified by the reverse osmosis method, and water purified with a household reverse osmotic filter will not differ from that sold under well-known trade brands ...

In addition to reverse osmosis filters, filters with a high degree of purification include filters with an ultrafiltration membrane. They are less common, but they also deserve attention, especially since their cost is somewhat less than the cost of reverse osmotic filters.
The prime cost of such filters is low, and the quality of water purification is very high.

Ultra Filtration Membrane Filters

One of the methods of membrane water purification is purification with an ultra filtration membrane. Ultrafiltration membrane made of tubular composite removes all particles larger than 0.01 microns (microns), including bacteria, viruses, as well as dissolved salts of heavy metals, iron, mercury, arsenic, manganese, etc. The filter with an ultra filtration membrane is a flow-through filter with a capacity of ~ 150 - 200 liters / hour. Outwardly, such a filter looks like a reverse osmosis filter, but still cleaning by reverse osmosis is finer (of higher quality) than cleaning with an ultrafiltration membrane.

The 5-stage ultra filtration membrane water purification system has the following purification stages:

1) The first stage is a preliminary mechanical cleaning cartridge (material: twisted or expanded polypropylene), designed to remove mechanical particles and suspensions with a diameter of up to 10 microns (microns).

2) The second stage - a cartridge containing granular activated carbon, removes chlorine and its compounds, organic substances, gases, improves taste.

3) The third stage is a cartridge based on compressed activated carbon (Carbon-Block), designed for additional purification of water from organochlorine compounds and mechanical impurities up to 0.5 microns (microns) in size.

4) The fourth stage is an ultrafiltration membrane made of a tubular composite with a hole diameter of 0.1–0.01 µm. The membrane removes almost all organic pollutants, impurities dissolved in water, heavy metal salts, iron, mercury, arsenic, manganese, etc., as well as bacteria and viruses.

5) Fifth stage - in line cartridge based on coconut activated carbon, removes odors and improves the taste of water.

In addition to the 5-stage system, there are filters with 4 stages of cleaning, in such filters there is no 3rd stage (a cartridge based on compressed activated carbon (Carbon-Block)).

Reverse osmosis water filters

Reverse osmosis water filters produce the highest quality (complete) water purification at home. Harmful substances such as magnesium, mercury, nitrates, nitrites, strontium, arsenic, cyanic, asbestos, fluorine, lead, sulfates, iron, chlorine,… are removed from the water. etc ..., all bacteria and viruses.
Household reverse osmosis filters are divided into flow reverse osmosis filters and storage filters. The main difference between flow and storage filters is the membrane performance.

In storage filters, the membrane performance is small (on average, 150-300 liters per day (~ 0.1-0.15 liters per minute)), therefore, such filters simply need a storage tank to be able to accumulate some supply of clean water (as a rule 8-11 liters). The water is gradually filtered and accumulates in the tank, after the tank is full, the water filtration stops. The constant filling of the tank is automatically maintained by the filter, that is, it turns out that the storage filters always have a supply of clean water of 8–11 liters.

In household flow-through reverse osmosis filters, high-performance membranes are installed (the provided productivity is at the level of 1-2 liters per minute). These filters do not need a storage tank. In terms of cost, flow-through filters are about 2–2.5 times more expensive than storage filters.

Both for storage systems of reverse osmosis and for flow-through systems - an important indicator is the water pressure at the inlet to the filter (pressure in the pipeline). The pressure must be at least 2.8 atm. (in houses with centralized water supply, the pressure below the indicated one is quite rare, as a rule it is the upper (lower) floor or the historical center of the city with a worn-out pipeline), in case of lower pressure, an additional pressure boosting pump is installed.

The most popular models of accumulative reverse osmosis filters:

a) 5-stage reverse osmosis filter (reverse osmosis system): 1st stage - preliminary cleaning from mechanical impurities ~ 15-30 microns (microns); 2nd stage - cleaning with activated carbon from chlorine and organochlorine compounds; 3rd stage - fine cleaning from mechanical impurities ~ 1-5 microns (microns) or additional treatment with pressed activated carbon (this additional stage in a 5-stage filter allows better protection of the membrane - which in turn will last longer); 4th stage - membrane cleaning (reverse osmosis method); 5th stage - carbon post-filter.

b) 5-stage reverse osmosis filter (reverse osmosis system) with a mineralizer: A mineralizer is added to this filter. 1st stage - preliminary cleaning from mechanical impurities; 2nd stage - cleaning with activated carbon from chlorine and organochlorine compounds; 3rd stage - fine cleaning from mechanical impurities or additional cleaning with pressed activated carbon; 4th stage - membrane cleaning; 5th stage - carbon post-filter. + a separate mineralizer, which allows you to balance the salt composition of the water.

c) 5-stage reverse osmosis filter with a pressure boosting pump (reverse osmosis system): in such a filter, in contrast to 5-stage osmosis, only a pump is added - which must be used if the pressure of the water entering for cleaning is less than 2.8 - 3 atm., in all other cases the reverse osmosis filter can be used without a pump.

d) 4-stage reverse osmosis filter (reverse osmosis system): 1st stage - preliminary cleaning from mechanical impurities ~ 15-30 microns (microns); 2nd stage - cleaning with activated carbon from chlorine and organochlorine compounds; 3rd stage - membrane cleaning (reverse osmosis method); 4th stage - carbon post-filter.

Reverse osmosis filters are compact and can be easily installed in the kitchen under the sink; a separate tap for drinking water is installed on the sink (filters are equipped with everything necessary for connection).

Water from wells and natural sources has a number of dissolved components and suspensions. To obtain a liquid that can be used in industry, for domestic purposes and for drinking, it must be thoroughly purified. Modern methods of water purification are very diverse. They are divided into several groups according to the nature of the processes taking place. Methods are used to create devices that provide optimal cleaning. This process requires an integrated approach, so several suitable methods are applied at once.

Figure: 1 Some water treatment methods

Physical methods are based on relevant physical processes affecting the water and the contaminants present. Typically, these methods are used to remove insoluble, large inclusions. Sometimes they also affect solutes and biological objects. The main physical cleaning methods are boiling, settling, filtration and UV treatment.

Boiling

During the boiling process, the water is exposed to high temperatures. As a result of this effect, microorganisms are eliminated, some dissolved salts precipitate, forming scale. Prolonged boiling may decompose more stable substances, such as chlorine compounds. The method is simple and optimal for use in everyday life, but it cleans only relatively small volumes of water.

Upholding

In this case, the effect of natural gravity on relatively large mechanical inclusions is used. Under the influence of their own gravity, they sink to the bottom of the container, forming a layer of sediment. Water settling is carried out in special sedimentation tanks. These containers are equipped with devices for collecting and removing the resulting sediment.

Filtration

When water passes through material with pores or other holes, some of the contaminants are retained. Particles that are larger than pores or cells remain on the surface. According to the degree of purification, coarse and fine filtration is distinguished. During coarse cleaning, only coarse particles are retained. In the fine process, inclusions that are only a few microns in size are retained.

Figure: 2 filter levels

UV treatment

The use of ultraviolet radiation eliminates biological contamination. The light of this spectrum affects the main molecules, which leads to the death of microorganisms. It should be borne in mind that water is treated with ultraviolet light, which is purified from suspended matter, i.e. made preliminary. The particulate matter creates a shade that protects bacteria from ultraviolet light.

Chemical methods of water treatment

Chemical methods of water purification are based on oxidation-reduction and neutralization reactions. As a result of the interaction of special reagents with pollutants, a reaction occurs, the result of which is an insoluble precipitate, decomposition into gaseous components or the appearance of harmless components.

Neutralization

The use of this method ensures the elimination of an acidic or alkaline environment and the approximation of its indicators to neutral. Reagents are added to water with a certain acidity index, ensuring the creation of an acidic or alkaline environment. To neutralize the acidic environment, alkaline compounds are used: soda ash, sodium hydroxide and some others. To eliminate the alkaline environment, solutions of some acids or oxides of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen are chosen. The latter, when dissolved in water, form weak acids. Neutralization reactions are usually represented by. When preparing drinking water from natural sources, a change in the reaction is not required, it is initially close to neutral.

Oxidation and reduction processes

Oxidation is most commonly used in water purification. In the process of reaction with oxidizing agents, contaminating compounds are converted into harmless components. They can be solid, gaseous, or soluble. Chlorine compounds, ozone and some other substances act as strong oxidants.

Figure: 3 Ozone oxidation plant

Water purification by physical and chemical methods

Water purification methods belonging to this group include both physical and chemical methods of exposure. They are very diverse and help to remove a significant portion of the dirt.

Flotation

In the process of water purification by flotation, a gas, for example, air, is passed through the liquid. Bubbles are created, on the surface of which hydrophobic dirt particles adhere. Bubbles rise to the surface and form foam. This layer of contaminated foam can be easily removed. Additionally, reagents can be used that increase hydrophobicity or cohesive and coarse dirt particles.

Figure: 4 Principle of flotation

Sorption

Water purification by sorption is based on the selective retention of substances. Most often, adsorption is used when retention occurs on the surface of the sorbent. Sorption is physical and chemical. In the first case, the forces of intermolecular interaction are used, and in the second, chemical bonds. Activated carbon, silica gel, zeolite and others are usually used as sorbents. Some types of adsorbents can be recovered, while others are disposed of after contamination.

Extraction

The extraction process is performed using a solvent that does not mix well with water, but dissolves contaminants better. On contact with the liquid to be cleaned, contaminants pass into the solvent and are concentrated in it. In this way, organic acids and phenols are removed from the water.

The ion exchange method is mainly used to remove hardness salts from water. In some cases, it is used to remove dissolved iron. The process consists in exchanging ions for honey with water and a special material. Special synthetic ion-exchange resins are used as such material. This method of water purification has become widespread not only in industry, but also in everyday life. Now it will not be difficult to purchase a filter with an ion-exchange cartridge.

Figure: 5 Ion exchange

Another way it is done is reverse osmosis. A special membrane with very fine pores is required for cleaning. Only small molecules pass through the pores. Contaminants are larger than water molecules and therefore do not pass through the membrane. This filtration is done under pressure. The resulting solution of contaminants is disposed of.

Figure: 6 Reverse osmosis

Methods used in household filters

All of these methods are used to cleanse liquids, including wastewater... But in most cases, people are interested in how to purify water at home for food and household purposes. Water purification at home does not imply the use of all these methods. Only some of them are implemented in modern devices. It is possible to purify tap water without a filter. This method is boiling. However, much more often the water is cleaned with specialized filtering devices.

The filters use such methods of purification of drinking water as mechanical filtration, ion exchange, sorption, reverse osmosis. Sometimes some others are used, but much less often.

All these modern methods water purification is implemented in cartridge flow filters. In such devices, tap water is purified in several stages. At the first stage, mechanical filtration is carried out, then dissolved substances are eliminated by sorption and ion exchange methods, and at the end, water can be passed through a reverse osmosis membrane.

The importance of clean drinking water for the human body has been proven for a long time, since then a variety of filtration systems have become more and more in demand. In addition, many people are interested in how to purify water with improvised means. This is especially true in case of insurance, if, for some reason, special devices do not inspire confidence or have become unusable. And also such methods allow you to significantly save money spent on all kinds of installations and cartridges.

All that needs to be done is to choose a suitable fluid treatment option, or even several, and fine-tune the system of its work in order to cover the needs of the whole family.

Advantages and disadvantages of boiling, settling and freezing

First of all, it is necessary to evaluate the simplest and available ways, with the help of which tap water is purified. These are physical options for exposure without the use of any filter, which have both obvious advantages and serious disadvantages:

• Boiling. In the process of exposure to tap water high temperature the liquid is sterilized. The main advantage of the approach is the fact that the death of pathogenic microorganisms occurs. True, for the cleansing to really take place, the product must be boiled for at least 15 minutes with the lid open. Only then will the harmful components evaporate. It is worth considering that the water becomes "dead", ie. useless for the body, and nothing can be done about it. In addition, chlorine does not disappear anywhere, but only changes, turning into an even more dangerous compound for humans.

• Defending. Another simple approach, the use of which is convenient only if there is no time limit. You need to pour the liquid into a bowl and leave for at least 8 hours. Such water purification at home allows you to get rid of chlorine and a number of other volatile chemical compounds. True, heavy metals remain in the liquid, although they settle to the bottom. To get rid of them, the water cannot be chatted and stirred, and after insisting it must be carefully poured into another dish, leaving at least a quarter of the product at the bottom.

• Freezing. Today, water purification by freezing is considered one of the most effective among the primitive physical methods. You need to do the following: in a saucepan or plastic dishes pour water and put it in the freezer. Next, the most difficult thing begins - we make sure that only half of the liquid freezes. Then liquid part we drain it (all salts and harmful components remain in it), and melt the frozen one, and it becomes drinkable. It is recommended to drink such a product immediately, because it is considered to be healing. Therefore, you need to set a schedule for when it is best to freeze water.

Tip: Today from water tap highly chlorinated water flows, which is considered safe for humans and supposedly can be used in everyday life. In fact, if it is consumed in its "pure" form, you can face digestive disorders, allergic reactions, penetration of worms into the body and, paradoxically, dehydration.

Choosing between boiling, settling and freezing, you need to take into account that you can control the quality of the product only in the latter case, because water rich in mineral salts freezes very slowly. Therefore, the use of this approach in the absence of a high-quality filter is considered by experts to be the most logical solution.

Rules for the use of cleaning components

A number of chemical compounds can be used as a cleaning filter. Most often, water is purified with silicon at home, table salt, shungite, activated carbon and silver. The methods for preparing drinking liquid in these cases are as follows:

• The use of table salt. For 2 liters of tap water, take a heaped tablespoon of salt and dissolve. We insist the product for 20 minutes, after which it can be consumed. With the help of such a kind of filter, the liquid can be made free of heavy metal salts and pathogenic microorganisms. Unfortunately, this kind of purification of tap water cannot be used too often.

• Cleansing with pharmacy silicon. It is best to purchase the product at the pharmacy, so as not to face additional problems later. First, the ingredient must be thoroughly rinsed under lukewarm running water. Then we put it in a container with water at the rate of 3 g of stone per 1 liter of liquid. The container with silicon should be covered with gauze and removed in a bright place, but away from direct sunlight. This filter will purify water in about 2-3 days. To get the maximum benefit from the product, it must be drained into a new container, leaving at least 3 cm of sediment in the old one.

• Another stone with which people are increasingly purifying water. To make tap liquid drinkable, you need to place a stone weighing 100 g in a liter of water and stand it for three days, then drain, leaving a little product at the bottom. From time to time like this natural filter need to be cleaned with a hard sponge or changed.

• A natural product not only purifies water, but also removes unpleasant odors, absorbs harmful substances that have entered the liquid from the surface of the pipes. You just need to wrap several tablets of the drug in cheesecloth (1 piece per liter of liquid) and place them in water for 8 hours.

• Silver. Its properties are still used, because the component is much more effective than carbolic acid and bleach. In order to start water purification, you need to place a silver coin or spoon in a container with tap liquid and leave for at least 10 hours.

At home, if you wish, you can make a real filter, but in terms of the quality of work, it still cannot surpass the described methods or industrial products.

Simple and safe folk remedies

Before you purify water at home using one of the folk remedies, you need to consider that their effectiveness will directly depend on the quality and environmental friendliness of the components used.

• Rowan. We just put a bunch of berries in a container of water and wait a couple of hours. Such a natural filter purifies water no worse than activated carbon and silver.
• Wine, vinegar. People knew how to purify water with wine thousands of years ago. You just need to take 300 ml of white wine (dry, young) per liter of water, mix and leave for at least 4 hours. In the absence of this ingredient, it is allowed to use vinegar. Only you need to take it no more than a teaspoon for the same volume.

Experts warn against trying to quench your thirst with distilled water. Although this product does not contain harmful components, there is no benefit from it either. And here regular use such a liquid accelerates the process of removing vitamins and minerals from tissues, which is dangerous for the body. Well, the easiest way is to buy at least a simple jug with a filter that will not take up much space, will not cause trouble, and at the same time will provide the family with clean drinking water.